Analytical and Structured Thinking: Best Practices and Methods

Analytical thinking skills

• Understanding how we think and reason

• Adding value to your organization

• Balancing multiple conditions impacting a business situation

• Moving from pieces to the big picture

• Generating creative solutions

Structuring problems

• The importance of structuring

• Defining the right issue

• Using the issue statement

• Dividing issues into manageable sections

• The use of logic trees in problem solving

• Developing issue trees

Prioritizing and planning

• The importance of prioritizing work

• Eliminating non-essential issues

• Using the 80:20 rule

• Prioritization methodologies

• Using the prioritization matrix

• Developing practical project plans

• Building an effective work plan

• The concept of synergy

• Characteristics of high performing teams

Conducting analyses

• Getting the right data

• Types of research

• Primary research development

• Secondary research development

• Conducting informational interviews

• Active listening

• Guided dialogue

• Asking 'so what?'

• Summary versus synthesis

Communicating structured and analytical thinking results

• Turning data into findings

• Building effective arguments

• Communicating findings by telling a story

• Story telling elements

  • The current situation

  • Difficulties in making the situation better

  • Possible paths to resolution

• Presenting to senior management